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Barnabas Collins formally introduces himself to the Collins Family, and arranges to stay in the Old House. Meanwhile, Quentin is determined to learn the dark family secret. Synopsis Teaser :The great house at Collinwood stands deserted. The living have sought refuge elsewhere, leaving an evil spirit to roam the cold empty house alone. For some, this night will seem an eternity. Barnabas Collins remains in a deep trance. He has employed the mysterious powers of the I-Ching, and gone through the door to the infinite, hoping to find and defeat the spirit that haunts Collinwood. But beyond the door, he has been transported back in time to the year 1897 – a time of intrigue and terror for all who live at Collinwood. Quentin questions the validity of Barnabas' story. Suspicious of his true motives, Quentin pulls a sword from the wall and holds it at Barnabas' throat. He tells Barnabas about his recent visit to England and discovery that there was no English branch of the family then gives him five minutes to tell Quentin exactly who he is, or else he will run him through. Act I Quentin tells Barnabas he thinks he is a fraud, and Barnabas asks what it is Quentin thinks he is after. Quentin waves the question off and Barnabas insists that he represents the English branch of the Collins family, and implies that he knew Quentin was in England, but his bad reputation had preceded him and that was why the family did not bother to contact him. Quentin is steadfast, but Judith enters the room with the tea service and commands Quentin to put the sword down. Quentin tells Judith that Barnabas is a fraud, but Judith submits that it is obvious Barnabas is a member of the family, and even if he were not that Quentin’s actions are inexcusable. Judith demands that Quentin apologize and Barnabas tells him that he and the rest of the English family are quite wealthy. This changes Quentin’s attitude considerably and he offers a weak apology. Tempers cool down, and Judith welcomes Barnabas into the family. Barnabas inquires about the Old House and requests the use of it during his stay in Collinsport. Judith apologizes that she cannot grant this request as the Old house is occupied by gypsies who got on Edith Collins}Edith’s good side. Barnabas asks if he can speak to Edith and convince her to change the arrangement, but Judith insists Edith is too sick to see anyone, but offers to talk to her when she is feeling better. Barnabas asks if he may walk over to the house to inspect it and Quentin escorts him to the front door. Judith tries to telephone her brother, Edward, in Boston, but Quentin grabs the telephone and stops her from placing the call. Judith tells Quentin that Grandmama told her to call Edward and tell him she is dying. Quentin suggests to Judith that if Grandmother knew Edward was not able to make it in time, then she would be forced to one of them the family secret. Judith insists she must call Edward, but Quentin tells her to lie to Edith. Judith says nothing, but leaves the room without making the call. On the path towards the Old House, Barnabas runs into Beth Chavez, Recognizing her as a spirit that haunts Collinwood in 1969, he startles her when he calls her by name. Act II Beth tries to walk away calmly, but Barnabas begins talking to her. Beth asks who he is and how he knows her name. He tells her he saw her photograph with the children and says he assumed she was a Collins. Beth corrects him, indicating that she is merely a servant. She excuses herself and Barnabas tells her he hopes he will see her at Collinwood with the children, Jamison and Nora. He apologizes for not remembering the name of the other child and Beth tells him there is no other child. Barnabas purses the topic of the other child and Beth scurries away. Once she leaves Barnabas wonders why she if she is lying about the third child or if (s)he has already died and is buried. Beth returns to Collinwood and runs into Quentin. Quentin accuses Beth of spending time with her "gentleman friend". Beth snubs Quentin, smirks and leaves towards the anterior of the building. Barnabas heads into Collinsport, where he finds a compact lying on the docks. A woman named Sophie Baker wandering the docks looking for the compact and trying to get a drunken man named Charlie to help her look for it. Parting company with Charlie, Sophie is startled by Barnabas who asks if she is looking for something. She tells him of the compact, which was given to her by Captain Strathmore. Barnabas returns the compact to her and she puts it away, then begins to flirt with Barnabas. The hunger for blood begins to overwhelm Barnabas and he tries to resist giving in, excusing himself, but Sophie keeps clinging to him and asks him if he will escort her back the The Blue Whale. Barnabas agrees, but before they leave Sophie draws out the compact to reapply her makeup and notices Barnabas has no reflection. She begins to panic and Barnabas bares his fangs, biting Sophie in the neck. Act III Back at Collinwood, Quentin stops Beth as she is bringing a tray of food to Edith's room. Quentin asks Beth to out down the tray and talk to him, but she refuses, saying the food will get cold, but she puts the tray down anyway when Quentin tells her he needs her help in order to talk to Edith. Beth asks if he really thinks he can fool Edith into revealing “the big, dark secret”. Quentin tries to charm Beth, but she resists his touch and accuses him of being an opportunist. She tells him she is very happy with her job and cannot help him. Quentin notices that the tray contains more food than Edith could possibly eat, and begins to suspect Beth’s true motives. Beth tells her that Miss Judith will eat most of it as she sits with Edith. Meanwhile, Judith watches over Edith, telling her she was unable to reach Edward. Edith frets that Edward must arrive soon. She tells Judith she is thankful of Judith’s devotion and will be thankful. Beth brings Edith's food inside, warning Judith that Quentin stopped her and noticed the food and has been asking a lot of questions. Judith tells her that they need to start being "more careful" with how they handle things. She tells Beth to go upstairs and not let anyone see her. Edith asks what they were whispering about, but apparently did not hear enough of this mysterious exchange between the two women. As the clock strikes 11pm, Judith checks Edith and leaves the room. Quentin sees her leave, as he is hiding in a corner and enters Edith's room. As he does she awakens and calls out, asking if it is Edward. He tells her yes, but she recognizes his voice. He grasps her about the shoulders and demands for her to tell him the family secret. Memorable Quotes *'Barnabas Collins:' Any man who would put a sword at another man's throat moments after they met is hardly the sort of person that relatives would want to meet. *'Edith Collins' No, no, it isn’t Edward. Quentin, I know your voice. I’m not as far gone as you think. *'Quentin Collins' Yes. Yes you are. *'Edith Collins:' What do you mean? *'Quentin Collins:' In mean the you are going to die tonight. But before you do, you are going to tell me the secret! Aren’t you Grandmother! Dramatis personae * ← Joan Bennett as Judith Collins → * ← Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins → * ← David Selby as Quentin Collins → * ← Terry Crawford as Beth Chavez → * ← Isabella Hoopes as Edith Collins → * K.C. Townsend as Sophie Baker Notes * The opening narration for this episode (with but a few small alterations) is the same as the one used in episode 703. * This is one of the few episodes where Ohrbach's is not listed as fashion designer. * In this episode, Quentin implies that Beth is involved with another man. No other reference to this mysterious courter is made throughout the series. Quentin's suspicion is likely derived from Beth's frequent absences at strange hours. This is attributed to her nightly visits to the Tower Room, where she feeds and looks after the crazed Jenny Collins. Jenny Collins will not be introduced until episode 716. (However, at a later point it is implied that Beth and Dirk Wilkins have, or had, a relationship.) * Barnabas’ mention of the 'third child' would be the baby found in the coffin in episodes 683 & 684 (Nora and Jamison being the first and second). * In other episodes, Edith is referred to as “Grandmama (Grand-muh-ma), but in this episode both Quentin and Judith call her “Grandmother”. Mistakes * The woman that Barnabas meets in Collinsport is named Sophie Baker. However, in the closing credits her name is listed as Sophie Barnes. * In this episode Quentin says he was in England for over six months, and never ran into anyone named Collins. However; in the previous episode he stated he was there for “the better part of six months”, which would be less than six months. * Jonathan Frid stammers over his lines several times through the course of this episode. His uneven dialogue during the Sophie Baker scene could be attributed to his character's attempt to resist his vampiric bloodlust. 0704